CLIMATE CHANGE VS. CLIMATE VARIATION IN WESTERN CAPE
The observed trends in average temperatures are evidence for climate changes in the Western Cape region. It is the main wheat production area of South Africa and responsible for almost 40% of the country’s total production. Wheat areas in the Western Cape are mainly rain-fed and the primary use of wheat is for bread making.
Swartland is a sub-region of Western Cape and characterized by dry, hot summers and wet, moisty winters which is typically of Mediterranean weather conditions. This area receives approximately 80% of its rainfall from April to September. Figure 1.1 Annual precipitation (mean) in Western Cape showing the Swartland region
Climate Drivers in Western Cape
The …show more content…
However, the baseline for the recorded data is short and no confident statement can be made to support any evidence of the changing pattern of participation in the last half of the century. The changes may be related to climate variability, which is different to climate change.
Climate change and climate variability
The Western Cape has substantial inter-annual rainfall variations and the debate still continue whether changes are climatically or due to variability.
According to the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), climate changes are: “change in the state of the climate that can be identified (e.g., by using statistical tests) by changes in the mean and/or the variability of its properties, and that persists for an extended period, typically decades or longer” (IPCC, 2007b). Therefore, climate variability can be identify as the fluctuation of the mean over short periods, whereas climate change is a swift and occurs over long period time-scales.
A high level of climate variability were recorded in the Western Cape since the first written reports during the 1800’s:
1825-1829 – predominance of reports of drought and desiccation
1830-1833 – flood and good rain reports
The observed trends in average temperatures are evidence for climate changes in the Western Cape region. It is the main wheat production area of South Africa and responsible for almost 40% of the country’s total production. Wheat areas in the Western Cape are mainly rain-fed and the primary use of wheat is for bread making.
Swartland is a sub-region of Western Cape and characterized by dry, hot summers and wet, moisty winters which is typically of Mediterranean weather conditions. This area receives approximately 80% of its rainfall from April to September. Figure 1.1 Annual precipitation (mean) in Western Cape showing the Swartland region
Climate Drivers in Western Cape
The …show more content…
However, the baseline for the recorded data is short and no confident statement can be made to support any evidence of the changing pattern of participation in the last half of the century. The changes may be related to climate variability, which is different to climate change.
Climate change and climate variability
The Western Cape has substantial inter-annual rainfall variations and the debate still continue whether changes are climatically or due to variability.
According to the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), climate changes are: “change in the state of the climate that can be identified (e.g., by using statistical tests) by changes in the mean and/or the variability of its properties, and that persists for an extended period, typically decades or longer” (IPCC, 2007b). Therefore, climate variability can be identify as the fluctuation of the mean over short periods, whereas climate change is a swift and occurs over long period time-scales.
A high level of climate variability were recorded in the Western Cape since the first written reports during the 1800’s:
1825-1829 – predominance of reports of drought and desiccation
1830-1833 – flood and good rain reports